Hinged cover cartons



Sept- 6, 1955 M. 1. WILLIAMSON ETAL- 2,

HINGED COVER CARTONS Filed Sept. 20, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS MARSHALL I. WILLIAMSON HERMAN A. cA/PRUTH WWW ATTORNEK Sept. 6, 1955 M. l. WILLIAMSON ET AL HINGED COVER CARTONS Filed Sept. 20. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS MARSHALL I. M/ILLMMSON HERMAN A. CARRUTH BY A TTORNEY.

United States Patent 1 2,717,074 HJNGED COVER CARTONS Marshall I. Williamson, New Haven, and Herman A.

Carruth, Northford, Conn., assignors, by mesne assignments, to National Folding Box Company, Incorporated, New Haven, Come, a corporation of New York Application September 20, 1951, Serial No. 247,472 7 Claims. (Cl. 206-438) This invention relates to hinged cover cartons having cooperating locking elements associated with the box end walls and the cover end flanges and operative to releasably lock the cover part in closed position when fully telescoped over the box part.

Hinged cover cartons constructed in accordance with this invention comprise a relatively rigid box part presenting a bottom panel, a front panel, a rear panel and pluralply end panels designed to contain a single merchandise article or a series of aligned merchandise articles therein. The cover part presents a top wall panel hinged to the box rear wall panel and designed to cover the box part. A front flange and a pair of reinforced end flanges depend from the cover top panel and are designed to telescope over the front panel and end panels of the box part, providing a relatively rigid carton of attractive appearance.

Cooperating interlocking elements are associated with both of the box end panels and the cover end flanges whereby the cover part is automatically locked when swung into closed position, but which nevertheless permits opening movement of the cover part to provide ready access to the contents when a lifting force is applied to one or more of the cover flanges. The cooperating locking elements comprise an abutment flap integrally hinged to the upper edge of each box end panel and presenting a free abutment edge designed to automatically snap into interlocking abutment with an abutment edge on the inside face of the adjacent cover end flange to thereby positively retain the cover part in closed position. The box end panels, the cover end flanges and the cooperating locking elements associated therewith are so constructed that the locking elements retain their locking effectiveness throughout the useful life of the carton and irrespective of the number of times the cover part is swung into open and closed position.

Hinged cover cartons constructed in accordance with this invention are particularly adapted for the packaging of a single merchandise article, or a series of merchandise articles, of such a nature that the cooperating interlocking elements cannot be associated with the box front panel and the cover front flange. For example, where the merchandise article, or series of articles, require a box part of relatively extended length, the box front panel and cover front flange may be too flexible, unless heavily reinforced, to provide the desired effective locking action when the cooperating locking elements are associated therewith. As a further example, cooperating locking elements cannot be associated with the box front panel and cover front flange in the case of cartons for dispensing rolled wax paper, paper towels, paper napkins, protective sheet foil, ribbon, tape, and like rolled sheet material which must be withdrawn over the top edge of the front panel. By associating the cooperating locking elements with the plural-ply box end panels and rein forced cover end flanges in accordance with this invention, the carton may be made in any desired length, and may be used for the packaging of a series of articles, or a single elongated article, or as a containing and dispensing medium for rolled sheet material; permitting periodic inspection, adjustment or removal of the merchandise contents as desired, with the assurance that the coverpart will be automatically locked and releasably retained in closed position when telescoped over the box part.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the disclosure proceeds.

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself, and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the inside face of the prepared blank from which this improved hinged cover carton may be formed, the prepared blank of Fig. 1 showing spots of adhesive applied to defined areas thereof;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the blank in progress of assembly into the completed carton;

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross section of the partially assembled carton as it would appear when viewed along line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fully assembled carton with the cover part in partially opened position and with a sheet roll contained in the box part thereof; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the carton with its cover part in closed position as the same would appear when viewed in the direction of the arrows 5--5 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 6 is a transverse cross sectional view of the closed carton showing a sheet roll therein and with the advance edge of the sheet projecting beyond the tear edge of the cover. front flange for convenient grasping and as the same would appear when viewed in the direction of the arrows 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 6 also showing in dot and dash lines the top wall panel and front flange of the cover part as the same would appear when in partially open position; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary transverse cross section taken horizontally through one end of the carton and the sheet roll contained in the box part thereof, as the same would appear when viewed in the direction of the arrows 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughoutthe several views of the drawings and the specification.

The hinged cover carton of this invention is designed to be made from a substantially rectangular sheet of paperboard, fiberboard or like relatively stiff but flexible sheet material. The sheet material from which the blanks are cut may be suitably printed and decorated on the finished face thereof and then cut and scored on an automatic cutting and scoring machine at high production speed to provide carton forming blanks in the form shown in Fig. l.

The blank as shown in Fig. 1 comprises a box forming part A and a cover forming part B. The box forming part A comprises a bottom wall panel .1, a front wall panel 2 and a rear wall panel 3 hinged to the bottom wall panel 1 along parallel extending score lines 4. The box end wall panels are of plural ply thickness and are formed by a substantially rectangular intermediateend panel section 5 hinged to each end of the rear wall panel 3 along the score line 6, and a companion substantially rectangular outer end panel section 7 hinged to each end of the front wall panel along the transverse score line 8. An inner end panel section 9 extends from each end of the bottom wall panel, and is hinged thereto along a transverse score line 10. To facilitate assembly of the carton, each end panel section 9 is preferably narrower in width than the bottom panel and may be separated from the adjacent edges of the end panel sections 5 and 7 by notch cutouts 11 as shown in Fig. l. The adjacent inner end panel sections 9, intermediate end panel sections 5 and the outer end panel sections 7 are designed to be glued together to provide plural-ply end panels for the box part as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

A hinged abutment flap of relatively narrow width is hingedly connected to each of the inner end panel sections 5 along a score line 21, the score lines 21 being substantially aligned continuations of the longitudinal score line 26 which defines the upper edge of the box rear panel 3. Each of the hinged abutment flaps 20. presents a free abutment edge 22 and may have tapered end edges 23 and 23. Each tapered end edge 23 terminates short of the score 6. so that the end panel section 5 presents a free edge21. The abutment edges 22 of the hinged abutment tion 13' may be flexed inwardly with respect to the main front panel section whose ends are hingedly secured to the end panels alongthe scores 8 when the box part is erected.

The blank section which forms the cover part3 of the carton comprises a top wall panel 25 having an area suflicient to fully cover the open top of the box part; and is hinged to the upper edge of the box rear panel along the score line 26. A cover front flange 27 is hinged to the front edge of the cover top panel 25 along the score line 23 which extends substantially parallel to the score line 26;. A cover end flange 29 is hinged to each end of the cover top panel 25 along a transverse score'30, the transverse scores 30 being slightly outwardly offset from the adjacent end edge defining scores 6 of the box rear panel 3. Each of the cover side flanges 29 may present an inclined free edge 29' tapering generally towards the junction point of the scores 30 and 26.

An abutment tab 31 extends from each end of the cover front flange 27 and is hinged thereto along a transverse score 32 which is slightly inwardly oflset with respect to the transverse score 30 for convenience in assembly. Each abutment flap 31 is designed to be adhesively secured to the inside face of the adjacent cover end flange 29 so as to present a free abutment edge 33 which may be intersected by a tapered edge 34 inclined towards the junction point between the scores 28 and 30.

When the carton is to be formed to contain a roll R of sheet material to be dispensed therefrom, a tear-strip 35, made from relatively stiff metal or plastic material,

may be secured to the inside face of the cover front flange 27 in a manner so that the serrated or saw toothed edge 36' of the tear strip slightly overhangs the free lower edge of the cover front flange 27. Securement of the tear strip to the cover front flange 27 may be effected by the 2 application of suitable adhesive, or by the provision of burrs 37 punched from the strip and clamped to the paperboard material forming the cover frontflange 27. In assembling cartons from out and scored blanks as shown in Fig. 1, the blanks are fed into a carton assembly machine which includes spot gluing mechanism which applies a spot of adhesive g to the inside face of each cover end flange 29 over a defined area to be covered by the adjacent abutment tab 31. The spot gluing mechanism also operates to apply a spot of adhesive g to the inside face of each of the inner end panel sections 5 in a defined area which is to be covered by the adjacent bottom end flap 9. Additionally, the spot gluing mechanismapplies adhesive g over the entire inside face of both the outer end panel sections 7 so that the outer end panel sections 7 may be adhesively secured to the outside face of the adjacent inner end panel sections 5.

As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the glued carton forming blank may be erected and assembled by raising the inner end wall sections 9 to extend substantially at right angles to the box bottom panel 1, erecting the box front panel 2 and the box rear panel 3 to extend substantially at right angles to the box bottom panel 1, swinging the intermediate end panel sections 5 inwardly to extend substantially at right angles to the box rear panel 3 and pressing the adhesive areas g into adhering contact with the outside face of the adjacent inner end wall sections 9. The outer end wall sections 7 may then be swung to extend at right angles to the raised box front panel 2 and the adhesive coated areas g" thereof pressed into adhesive contact with the outside face of the erected intermediate end wall sections 5.

The cover part B of the carton is assembled by bending the front flange 27 to extend substantially at a right angle to the top panel 25, then bending the abutment tabs 31 inwardly at right angles to the raised front flange 27, followed by bending the end flanges 29 to extend at right angles to the top panel 25, and then pressing the inturned tabs 31 into adhering engagement with the glued areas g previously applied to the inside face of the end flanges 29.

Upon insertion of the contents into the box part, the hinged abutment flaps 2b are bent outwardly and downwardly to overlie the adjacent top edge 7 of the adjacent outer end panel sections 7 so that when the cover is swinging towards closed position, the free edges 29 of the cover side flanges .29 will cam against the outturned abutment flaps 2b as shown in Fig. 4 and press them downwardly into overlying relation to the outside face of the outer end panel sections 7 and into housed position between the cover end flanges 29 and the adjacent outer end panel sections '7.

When the cover part is in fully closed position as shown in Fig. 5, the free edges 33 of the fixed abutment tabs associated with the cover end flanges 29 will slip into abutment against the abutment edges 22 of the outturned and downturned box abutment flaps Ztl. Substantial resistance is thereby established to the opening movement of the cover part, and the cover part will remain firmly closed until an upward lifting force is exerted on the cover front flange 2'? or the cover end flanges 29 in sufficient amount to cause the hinged abutment flaps 20 of the boxpart to swing outwardly to thereby outbow the cover end flanges 29, until the free edges 33 of the fixed abutment tabs 31 release their grip on the abutment flaps 2%. When the cover part is again swung into closed position, locking engagement between the abutment edges 33 of the fixed abutment tabs 31 and the free abutment edges 22 of the hinged abutment flaps 2i will be re-established, and the cover part will again be locked in closed position.

Where the carton is designed to contain and dispense a roll R of sheet material, the cover part will remain firmly locked in closed position as sectional lengths of the rolled sheet are withdrawn and torn off against the saw tooth edge 36 of the tear strip 35. The cover part may nevertheless be opened as desired to permit inspecw tion of the sheet roll, and rethreading of a drawn section 5 to overlie the outside face of the box front panel 2, as may be necessary. After inspection and adjustment, the cover part may be swung into closed position, and upon closing, the abutment edges 33 and 22 of the fixed abutment tabs 31 and hinged abutment flaps 29 will automatically snap into locking engagement to firmly retain the cover part in closed position during sheet section withdrawal and tear off removal thereof.

Where the carton is designed for dispensing rolled sheet material, the box front panel 2 may be provided with an upper edge section 18 designed to be folded inwardly along its hinging score 19, to provide a rounded top edge over which the advance section s of the rolled sheet may ride when being Withdrawn from the sheet roll. Desired sectional lengths of the rolled sheet may accordingly be withdrawn from the box part substantially without frictional resistance. The leading edge portion s of the withdrawn sheet is threaded between the main section of the box front panel 2 and the inside face of the cover front flange 27 as shown in Fig. 6, with the saw toothed edge 36 of the tear strip 35 conveniently located at the lower edge of the front flange 27 of the closed cover part for convenient tear-off removal of the withdrawn sheet section. Any desired sectional length may be easily withdrawn from the rolled sheet by exerting only a slight pull on the advance edge s thereof, since the sheet roll is free to roll within the box part and the Withdrawn section s of the sheet is smoothly guided over the rounded hinge portion 18' of the box front panel without binding the sheet or exerting any undesired or excessive frictional resistance to its convenient withdrawal.

While certain novel features of this invention have been disclosed above, and are pointed out in the claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A hinged cover carton formed from a single blank of sheet material having a relatively rigid box part and a cover part hinged to the box part, said box part including a bottom wall panel, front and rear wall panels integrally connected to the bottom wall panel, and a plural ply end wall at each end of the box part, each of said end walls comprising a bottom end wall section integrally connected to the adjacent end of the bottom panel, a rear end wall section integrally connected to the adjacent end of the rear wall panel and having a heighth substantially equal to the heighth of said rear Wall panel and a width substantially equal to the width of said bottom wall panel, and a front end wall section integrally connected to the adjacent end 'of the front wall panel, said cover forming part comprising a top wall panel hinged to the upper edge of said box rear wall panel, front and end flanges depending from said top wall panel designed to telescope over the front and end panels of the box part when the cover part is in closed position, and a pair of cooperating abutment elements associated with each box end wall and the adjacent cover end flange operative to lock the cover part in closed position and releasably resist opening movement thereof, each of said paired abutment elements comprising a fixed abutment tab presenting a fixed abutment edge integrally connected to the end of said cover front flange and secured to the inside face of the adjacent cover end flange, and an abutment flap hinged to the upper edge of the rear end wall section of the box part and overlying the outside face of the adjacent plural ply end wall, each of said hinged abutment flaps presenting an abutment edge designed to releasably interlock with the fixed abutment edge of the cover securing tab when the cover part is in closed position.

2. A hinged cover carton formed from a single blank of sheet material having a relatively rigid box part and a cover part hinged to the box part, said box part including a bottom wall panel, front and rear wall panels integrally connected to the bottom Wall panel, and a plural ply end wall at each end of the box part, each of said end walls comprising an inner end wall section, an intermediate end wall section and an outer end wall section secured together to provide a relatively rigid end wall, each of said inner end wall forming sections being integrally connected to the adjacent end of the bottom panel, each of said intermediate end wall forming sections being integrally connected to the adjacent end of the rear wall panel and having a heighth substantially equal to the heighth of said rear wall panel and a width substantially equal to the width of said bottom wall panel, each of said outer end wall forming sections being integrally connected to the adjacent end of the front wall panel, said cover forming part comprising a top wall panel hinged to the upper edge of said rear wall panel,

front and end flanges depending from said top wall panel designed to telescope over the front and end panels of the box part when the cover part is in closed position, and a pair of cooperating abutment elements associated with each box end wall and the adjacent cover end flange operative to lock the cover part in closed position and releasably resist open movement thereof, each of said paired abutment elements comprising a fixed abutment tab presenting a fixed abutment edge integrally connected to the end of said cover front flange and secured to the inside face of the adjacent cover end flange, and an abutment flap hinged to the upper edge of the intermediate end wall section and foldable over the upper edge of the adjacent outer end wall section and overlying the outside face thereof, each of said hinged abutment flaps presenting an abutment edge designed to releasably interlock with the fixed abutment edge of the cover securing tab when the cover part is in closed position.

3. A hinged cover carton formed from a single blank of sheet material having a relatively rigid box part and a relatively rigid cover part hinged to the box part, said box part including a bottom wall panel, front and rear wall panels integrally connected to the bottom wall panel, and a plural ply-end wall at each end of the box part, each of said end wallscomprising an inner end wall section, an intermediate end wall section and an outer end wall section secured together toprovide a relatively rigid end wall, each of said inner end wall forming sections being integrally connected to the adjacent end of the bottom panel and having a width less than the width of the bottom panel, each of said intermediate end wall forming sections being integrally connected to the adjacent end of the rear wall panel and having a heighth substantially equal to the heighth of said rear wall panel and a width substantially equal to the width of said bottom wall panel, each of said outer end wall forming sections being integrally connected to the adjacent end of the front wall panel and having the upper edge thereof depressed slightly below the adjacent upper edge of the adjacent intermediate end wall section, said cover forming part comprising a top wall panel having an area suflicient to fully 7 cover the box part and integrally hinged to the upper edge of said rear wall panel, front and end flanges depending from said top wall panel designed to telescope over the front and end panels of the box part when the cover part is in closed position, each of said end flanges having a length substantially equal to the'width of the top wall panel, and paired cooperating abutment elements associated with the box end walls and the cover end flanges operative to lock the cover part in closed position and releasably resist open movement thereof, each of said paired abutment elements comprising a fixed abutment tab presenting a fixed abutment edge integrally connected to the end of said cover front flange and secured to the inside face of the adjacent cover end flange, and an abutment flap hinged to the upper edge of the intermediate end wall forming section and foldable over the depressed upper edge of the adjacent outer end wall forming section and overlying the outside face thereof withthe rear edge of said abutment flap substantially spaced from said rear wall panel, each of said hinged abutment flaps presenting an abutment edge designed to releasably interlock with the fixed abutment edge of the adjacent cover securing tab when the cover part is in closed position.

4. A one-piece paperboard carton for dispensing sheet material wound as a sheet roll having a relatively rigid box part for containing the sheet roll and a hinged cover part for the box part, said box part including a bottom wall panel, front and rear wall panels integrally connected to the bottom wall panel, and a plural ply end wall at each end of the box part, each of said end walls comprising a bottom end wall section integrally connected to the adjacent end of the bottom panel, a rear end wall section integrally connected to the adjacent end of therear wall panel and having a heighth substantially equal to the heighth of said rear wall panel and a width substantially equal to the width of said bottom wall panel, and a front end wall section integrally connected to the adjacent end of the front wall panel, said cover forming part comprising a top wall panel hinged to the upper edge of said box rear wall panel, front and end flanges depending from said top Wall panel designed to telescope over the front and end panels of the box part when the cover part is in closed position, sheet tearing means at the lower edge of said cover front flange by means of which withdrawn sectional lengths of the rolled sheet may be severed, and a pair of cooperating abutment elements associated with each box end wall and the adjacent cover end flange operative to lock the cover part in closed position and releasably resist open movement thereof, each of said paired abutment elements comprising a fixed abutment tab presenting a fixed abutment edge integrally connected to the end of said cover front flange and secured to the inside face of the adjacent cover end flange, and an abutment flap hinged to the upper edge of the rear end wall section of the box part and overlying the outside face of the adjacent plural ply end wall, each of said hinged abutment flaps presenting an abutment edge designed to releasably interlock with the fixed abutment edge of the cover securing tab when the cover part is in closed position.

5. A one-piece paperboard carton for dispensing sheet material wound as a sheet roll having a relatively rigid box part for containing the sheet roll and a hinged cover part for the box part, said box part including a bottom Wall panel, front and rear wall panels integrally connected to the bottom wall panel, and a plural ply end Wall at each end of the box part, each of said end walls comprising an inner end wall section, an intermediate end wall section and an outer end Wall section secured together to provide a relatively rigid end wall, each of said inner end wall forming sections being integrally connected to the adjacent end of the bottom panel, each of said intermediate end wall forming sections being integrally connected to the adjacent end of the rear wall panel and having a heighth substantially equal to the heighth of said rear wall panel and a width substantially equal to the Width of said bottom wall panel, each of said outer end wall forming sections being integrally connected to the adjacent end of the front Wall panel, said cover forming part comprising a top wall panel hinged to the upper edge of said rear wall panel, front and end flanges depending from said top wall panel designed to telescope over the front and end panels of the box part when the cover part is in closed position, sheet tearing means at the lower edge of said cover front flange by means of which withdrawn sectional lengths of the rolled sheet may be severed. and a pair of cooperating abutment elements associated with each box end Wall and the adjacent cover end flange operative to lock the cover part in closed position and releasably resist open movement thereof, each of said paired abutment elements comprising a fixed abutment tab presenting a fixed abutment edge integrally connected to the end of said front flange and secured to the inside face of the adjacent cover end flange, and an abutment flap hinged to the upper edge of the intermediate end wall section and foldable over the upper edge of the adjacent outer end wall section and overlying the outside face thereof, each of said hinged abutment flaps presenting an abutment edge designed to releasably interlock with the fixed abutment edge of the cover securing tab when the cover part is in closed position.

6. A one-piece paperboard blank for forming a hinged cover carton having a relatively rigid box part and a hinged cover part, said blank comprising box forming front, bottom and rear wall panels of substantially equal length connected in side by side relation along substantially parallel longitudinally extending score lines, a first end wall forming section joined by a transverse score line to each end of said front Wall panel, a second end wall forming section joined by a transverse score line to each end of the bottom panel, and a third end wall forming section joined by a transverse score line to each end of said rear wall panel and having a heighth substantially equal to the heighth of said rear wall panel and a width substantially equal to said bottom wall panel, said cover forming part comprising a top panel hinged to the rear box panel along a longitudinal score line extending substantially parallel to the score line which hinges the rear panel to the bottom panel, a front flange hinged along a longitudinal score line to the front edge of said top panel, an end flange hinged along a transverse score line to each end of said top panel, and an abutment tab having an abutment edge hinged along a transverse score line to each end of said front flange and designed to be secured to the inside face of the adjacent cover end flange when the carton is erected, each of said cover end flanges having the rear end portion thereof separated from the adjacent upper edge of said third end wall forming section by a longitudinal cut, and a cover locking abutment. flap hinged to the upper edge of each of said third end wall forming sections along a longitudinal score, each of said cover locking abutment flaps being positioned exterior to the rear end portion of the adjacent cover end flange and separated therefrom by a transverse cut, said abutment flap hinging scores and adjacent longitudinal cuts being substantially in alignment with the score line which swingably connects the cover top panel to the box rear panel.

7. A one-piece paperboard blank for forming a hinged cover carton having a relatively rigid box part and. a hinged cover part, said blank comprising box forming front, bottom and rear wall panels of substantially equal length connected in side by side relation along substantially parallel longitudinally extending score lines, an outer end. wall forming section joined by a transverse score line to each end of said front wall panel and having the upper edge thereof depressed slightly below the adjacent upper edge of said front panel, an inner end wall forming section joined by a transverse score line to each end of the bottom panel and having a width less than the width of the bottom panel, and an intermediate end wall forming section joined by a transverse score line to each end of said rear wall panel and having a heighth substantially equal to the heighth of said rear wall panel, said cover forming part comprising a top panel hinged to the rear box panel along a longitudinal score line extending substantially parallel to the score line which hinges the rear panel to the bottom panel, a front flange hinged along a longitudinal score line to the front edge of said top panel, an end flange hinged along a transverse score line to each end of said top panel, and an abutment tab having an abutment edge hinged along a transverse score line to each end of said front flange and designed to be secured to the inside face of the adjacent cover end flange when the carton is erected, each of said cover end flanges having the rear end portion thereof separated from the upper edge. of the adjacent intermediate end wall forming section by a longitudinal cut, and a cover locking abutment flap hinged to the upper edge of each of said intermediate end Wall forming sections along a longitudinal score, each of said cover locking abutment flaps being positioned exterior to the rear end portion of the adjacent cover end flange and separated therefrom by a transverse cut, said abutment flap hinging scores and adjacent longitudinal cuts being substantially in alignment with the score line which swingably connects the cover top panel to the box rear panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 5 85,606

Great Britain Feb. 13, 1947 A 

